Christine Bradley
Tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, refers to a tongue that is attached too tightly to the floor of the mouth due to a short or tight frenulum (the thin membrane that attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth). Tongue-tie is estimated to occur in about 5% of newborns. Your baby's pediatrician can check for a short frenulum during a newborn assessment.
There are several potential problems associated with having a short or tight frenulum. One of the most immediate problems that you may notice if your baby is tongue-tied is trouble latching on to the breast. Often this is the first clue that your baby may be tongue-tied. Because the baby is unable to extend his tongue past his gums and curl his tongue under the nipple, latch-on may be very painful for the mother. Also, poor latch-on may lead to inefficient removal of milk from the breast and baby may not get enough to eat.
Another potential problem with tongue-tie is impaired speech development. While most babies with tongue-tie go on to talk normally, others may have difficulty articulating certain sounds, especially talking fast. Also, a child with tongue-tie may be at an increased risk for dental problems because he cannot use his tongue to clear away food from his teeth and spread saliva as efficiently.
If your baby is tongue-tied there are some good treatment options. One option is to leave the frenulum alone and let it loosen and stretch over time. While most tongues naturally loosen, you may want more immediate results, especially if you are having trouble breastfeeding your baby. Many pediatricians will clip a frenulum that is too tight. This quick and relatively painless office procedure is called a frenotomy and can be performed either with a local anesthetic or without one. An infant's frenulum is very thin and usually there is very little if any bleeding. Most mothers report that their sore nipples are alleviated immediately after the procedure and that their babies are able to nurse very well.
If you and your pediatrician decide that your baby's frenulum is not tight enough to warrant clipping, pay attention to your child's speech development over the years. As I've mentioned earlier, most tongues do loosen on their own, but if your child still has difficulty extending his tongue when he is older, you may want to see a speech pathologist. A speech pathologist can help your child with exercises to stretch the tongue and improve oral development. Parents can also encourage regular tooth brushing and flossing and limit sweets to help improve oral health.
Christine Bradley is currently a certified lactation educator in the Salt Lake City area. She volunteers her services as a lactation specialist through breastfeeding classes and consultations and loves to educate families about good health and nutrition. She is attending the University of Utah and is studying to become a certified nurse-midwife.
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